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New Fiscal Year Brings Tax Hikes in 21 County School Districts

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For the fiscal year that began July 1st for 42 school districts in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh Public runs on a calendar year) and who levy a unified rate (Clairton taxes buildings and land separately, so they are omitted) the critical decision that many taxpayers wait to see is what will happen to the property tax millage rate.  It can increase, stay the same, or sometimes decrease.

The complete list of millage rates for school districts in the County is available at the County Treasurer’s website and our data analysis for this year shows that of the 41 districts starting the fiscal year a month ago and levying a single property tax rate that 21 districts hiked taxes, and 20 left rates unchanged.  The hikes ranged from a high of 1.25 mills in Penn Hills (which likely has more increases coming to correct for financial issues that have arisen in the district) to .0011 of a mill in Montour.  The average school millage rate for the districts is 21.90 mills, which is 7% higher than the average in 2013-14 when rates were reset after the assessment.

Let’s take a look at that time period, since our report this year looked at millage rate changes since 2013 but only had four fiscal years for the school districts since the report preceded the start of the fiscal year.  In eleven districts millage rates have gone up each year (2013-14 through 2017-18).  One district (Baldwin-Whitehall) cut millage one year and has increased millage each year since.

Six districts (Deer Lakes, Duquesne, Highlands, South Allegheny, West Allegheny, and Wilkinsburg) have not changed their millage rate since 2013-14 (no increases, no decreases).  It is worth noting that four of those (all but Deer Lakes and West Allegheny) rank in the top ten districts in Allegheny County for the amount of state aid per pupil in 2014-15; it is also worth noting that Deer Lakes is one of a small handful of districts that does not appeal assessed values as other districts regularly do.  For year over year since 2013-14, the number of districts increasing millages has been 21, 19, 24, and 21.

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Allegheny Institute
Allegheny Institute

The Allegheny Institute is a non-profit research and education organization. Our mission is to defend the interests of taxpayers, citizens and businesses against an increasingly burdensome and intrusive government.

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